now, we're counting down to tonight's presidential debate.mittromney's motorcadejust pulled up at the debate hall. president obama's expected to arrive in denver any minute as well. we'll be talking with top supporters of each candidate. the former new york city mayor rudy giuliani, he'll join us live this hour. also we'll be hearing from both candidates' wives in special cnn interviews. today, by the way, is the obama's 20th wedding anniversary. so what's it like spending the night with the romneys? i'm wolf blitzer, you're in "the situation room." >>> 34 days from the presidential election but much more importantly right now at least right now we've reached what may be the most decisive night of the 2012 campaign, the first presidential debate at the university of denver. after weeks of downplaying expectations, mitt romney's campaign insiders are finally opening up about what they really think can be accomplished tonight. cnn's national political correspondent jim acosta is in denver getting ready to set the scene. jim. >> reporter: wolf, the romney campaign sees the polls m

. >> president barack obama and governormittromneypreparingto face off in their first presidential debate. >> and here in denver, the candidates know what happens on this debate stage certainly could help sway the election. >> a president struggling with a slow economy, hoping to boost confidence in his leadership. >> i'm not fighting to create democratic and republican jobs, i'm fighting to create american jobs. >> a challenger fighting in the poll es trying to connect with average americans. after months of attacks on the campaign trial, it's time for these candidates to confront each other face to face. >> we will win this election, we will finish what we started! >> i will do better than this president has done for the american people! >> in colorado tonight, barack obama and mitt romney in their first presidential date. >> these debates are an opportunity for each of us to describe the pathway forward. >> what i'm most concerned about is having a serious discussion about what we need to do to keep the country growing. >> two men with different vision on issues voters care about most.

. >>> thanks, brooke. happening now, a new poll has bad news formittromneywhenit comes to one of the country's most important groups of voters. tomorrow night won't be the first time romney and the president have come face-to-face, but you may be surprised at how seldom they've actually met. and the former speaker of the house, nancy pelosi, she's here in "the situation room" live this hour. i'll ask her about the democrats' chances of taking back control of the house of representatives. i'm wolf blitzer. your in "the situation room." >>> we're down to just 35 days until the actual presidential election exactly five weeks from today. here's where the race may be decided. we're getting our first look inside the debate hall over at the university of denver. barack obama and mitt romney, they are getting ready to face-off tomorrow night. and as cnn's national political correspondent jim acosta discovered, it will be one of the very two times the two men have actually met in person. jim is joining us live from littleton, colorado. what's the latest on this particular score, jim? >

tuesday. a lot of his back woeers would disagree butmittromneyisout there saying tomorrow's big debate isn't about winning. polls show romney in a close race with the president, but trailing badly in some of the swing states that will decide the presidential election. well, here is mitt romney, we have heard these words before, sounds as though he's downplaying expectations as they say. take a listen. >> people want to know who is going to win, who is going to score the punches and who is going to make the biggest difference in the arguments they make and there is going to be all the scoring of winning and losing. >> so romney is saying, no, it is not about winning, not about losing, it is about america. but you have a lot of republicans, newt gingrich, for example, saying, hey, mitt romney, get out there, pick a fight, and win it. jim acosta with me now from the romney campaign. the debate, of course, tomorrow night in denver, you, sir, are in littleton, colorado. should we take mitt romney at face value when he says this debate is not about me winning? >> reporter: well, brooke, i th